Stay for Less in the Old Town

 

Quito’s Old Town is the largest and best-preserved in Latin America. The first city to be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it is home to no less than 40 churches and chapels, and 16 convents and monasteries with their respective cloisters. Truly the ‘Reliquary of the Americas’.

Over the last decade, the Quito authorities have been engaged in a huge regeneration project. The result has been the transformation of the Historic Centre. Few cities in the world can boast such a fast face-lift. In the wake of this urban regeneration, tourism businesses have thrived, and travellers have flocked to visit the Old Town. They have also started to stay there, too.

A clutch of upscale hotels have opened over the last years, providing travellers with luxurious bases for exploring the colonial heart of the capital. But a new batch of less expensive hotels has opened of late, offering visitors on less of a splurge the chance to step straight out onto the Old Town’s streets. Here is a selection of the most interesting:

• Enjoying an excellent location half a block north of the Plaza Grande, La Posada Colonial was given the make-over treatment in late 2008, and the change was dramatic. It only has nine rooms, but three of them give on to Calle García Moreno, one of the most emblematic in the city, while the others ring a central patio which has been roofed attractively. Two more rooms give onto Calle Mejía. The patio provides a friendly and appealing ambience for the restaurant that functions there, very popular with the lunch-break crowd. The rooms are all comfortable and pretty, with several homely decorative touches and plenty of character.

  La Posada Colonial – (593 2) 228 0282, García Moreno 1160 y Mejía, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.posadacolonial.com . Rates from $36 for a double, incl taxes + breakfast.

• A couple of blocks from Plaza Grande, the Hotel  Catedral Internacional isn’t new, but it’s still an appealing choice in the Old Town. It was redecorated and revamped early in 2009. It’s small and intimate, with only eight rooms, but it includes a very popular restaurant where office workers come for fast and well-prepared lunches. The rooms are carpeted and come with televisions. Everything is clean and tidy. Three rooms have French windows giving onto the street, which are the lightest. Hotel  Catedral Internacional – (593 2) 295 5438, Mejía Oe6-34 y Benalcázar. Rooms $43.94 for a double, incl tax + breakfast.

• The Hotel San Francisco de Quito is a good option for those looking to stay in the thick of colonial things. The hotel is spread out in various wings radiating from a pretty central patio bedecked with cascades of plants and a tinkling fountain. There are rooms of all configurations, some with fireplaces, others in duplex form. One has a balcony on the main street, while there’s also a honeymoon suite with great views from its third floor. The hotel recently added an attractive, wine cellar-like restaurant, 1698 Camino Real.

  Hotel San Francisco de Quito – (593 2) 295 1241, Sucre 217 y Guayaquil, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.sanfranciscoquito.com.ec . Rooms from $48 for a double, incl tax + breakfast.

• Affording views of the large Plaza Santo Domingo, the Hotel Real Audiencia is an old standby in the historic centre. The best rooms are spacious and come with views. Number 2A is a corner suite with a fabulous view of the Santo Domingo Plaza, while Number 301 is a floor higher up, with more panoramic views. The hotel’s top-floor restaurant is well worth a visit even if you are not staying here, boasting wraparound picture windows.

  Hotel Real Audiencia – (593 2) 295 2711, Bolívar Oe-318 y Guayaquil, www.realaudiencia.com . Rooms $50 double, including tax + breakfast.

• East of the Plaza Grande and close to the Marín bus terminal, the Hostal Mía Leticia has 12 different-sized rooms, all refurbished and given a new lease of life in early 2009. The rooms give onto to an appealing glassed-in central patio, and all are comfortable and attractive. There’s WIFI throughout the hotel, and a small café-restaurant.
  Hostal Mía Leticia – (593 2) 295 1980, Montúfar N5-91 y Mejía, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , www.mialeticia.com . Rooms from $20 per person, incl tax + breakfast.